THR 2nd Hip Recovery

[Juliep]

Julie, so glad to hear you are giving those new hips a workout! I'm so jealous you went to Sedona, that's on my 'bucket list' of places I want to see.
I hope the pain in your knees ease up and you can prolong any surgery, but if in the end you need them replaced too, don't despair. My aunt who I previously mention needed to use a shoe ift too after the second hip, well she had both knees replaced 4 days apart last October and today you'd never know she's walking around on 4 artificial joints. She said even though the first weeks were rough, she is so glad she had both of them pretty much at the same time.

Enjoy the rest of your trip!

Hi Liz,

Sedona was beautiful. I posted a few pictures in the Social Forum if you didn't see.

It was a very hard trip on me and now I'm VERY busy at work. I do bookkeeping (governmental) and my fiscal year ends tomorrow so I have TONS to do and then auditor comes out next week already to start some preliminary work so it's just non stop long days right now. My sleep still isn't great.

My newest hip has been feeling sore. I think it may have been from walking soooo much on vacation. I over did it for sure. I was also having groin/pelvic bone pain but that is subsiding. I have my MRI for my left knee on Monday and then I'm going for an 1 1/2 massage. It's way past due and with work and at a computer for 9 hours a day, my shoulders and upper back are feeling it. Both knees are hurting. The injection in the left knee before I went on vacation really didn't work at all, so I will be curious as the outcome of the MRI. The right knee injection only lasted about 8 weeks before it started hurting again. I see my OS on next Thursday for MRI results and then I guess it will be what is the next steps. I also am feeling some left shoulder pain in the bone and I'm REALLY hoping it's not the AVN. :skeptical:

While sitting at the airport in Vegas heading home to Tampa a guy struck up a conversation with me and asked why I was using a cane. I explained hip replacements and he said I was too young for that. He then asked if it was AVN and I told him yes and now in knees. He proceeded to have a major discussion with us and it ends up he's a Internal Med Doc in Sarasota. He told me I need to get to the bottom of the "why" I have it. He said I should go to a Hematologist and have my blood checked and have a bone biopsy of the knee since it's in there now. Everything he said made perfect sense and I think I will be doing that.

I just don't know what this will all stop and it really is depressing. Of course my knees hurt sleeping and I still have a few Dilaudid left and they don't even help. My OS is sending me a script for the Norco 10/325 again but that doesn't do anything either. I'll see if he'll prescribe something for me to maybe get some better sleep. I had taken Valium prior for my back as a muscle relaxer and that seemed to help as I think it not only relaxes things but also helps relax the mind some.

Well enough of my saga again. I'll know more things on Thursday morning next week when I see the OS so will report back in then.

 

[NYLiz]

Hi Julie, I just checked out the pics you posted and they make me want to hop on a plane and go there now! I can totally empathize with the overdoing, but in my case it wasn't due to vacation, but finally getting out in the garden and flowerbeds and weeding. Despite paying for it that night and the next day or two, it just felt so good to do something I haven't been able to do in so long.

When you're at work, do you make sure you get up and move every half hour or so? I too am at a desk for hours on end, that's when I'm not in meetings that last 2+ hrs, and I found if I do not at least stand and walk every 30 - 45 minutes, I become very stiff and sore. I know with the knee pain this may be difficult for you to do, but I found once I resigned myself to getting up and moving 1 - 2 times an hour, I felt better and I wasn't so sore at the end of the day.

I really hope you can get some answers about your knees. Maybe the Doc you met at the airport is on to something, diagnosing the underlying cause of something is not always black and white, as we all well know. It's one thing to treat the symptoms, but to actually to find and treat the cause is another. I'm hoping and praying your OS or another Doctor can determine what is causing the AVN in your knees and ease your concerns about it possibly occurring in other joints, like your shoulder. I'll be looking out for your post after you see the OS, but in the meantime, enjoy that massage on Monday :biggrin:

Liz

 

[Juliep]

Thanks so much Liz !!! I am so looking forward to that massage like you don't know. I have some IT band issues once in awhile so it will be nice too to have that worked on. :biggrin: :biggrin:

I think I'm going to finally treat myself and join this place for cheaper massages and you get them once a month. Massage Envy. I know they are all through out the US. Discounts etc. and if you don't want the massage one month you can elect the facial for $10 more. Hmmm just may do that one month. We all deserve a little something extra after what we have been through with pain in our life, right?

 

[hipmom]

Go for it, julie!

 

[DaveGM]

Julie

Treat yourself. The massage could work wonders.

Good luck for next week

I really hope you get some answers

 

[Juliep]

Well I had my MRI done of left knee and see OS on Thursday for results.

I then had my 1 1/2 hour massage also today. WOW was that needed. I had no idea how sore and tight every thing was. He worked my thighs real good and did a lot on IT band. I couldn't believe even how tender and tight my shinn's and calves were. I'm going back in 4 weeks but just for hour massage. I figured I don't treat myself to much else in life so I deserve this.

I'm back taking the Norco 10/325 again along with 500mg Tylenols. I'm taking it only at night time since I have to work and on weekends. I take 1000 mg Tylenol at work. Both knees now hurt all the time.

I will report back in after my visit on Thursday.

 

[NYLiz]

Julie - that massage sounds wonderful! I agree, you definitely deserve to treat yourself to a massage now and then. I found that there is a Massage Envy place just down the road from where I work, so I'm seriously going to consider scheduling a massage there soon.

Good luck Thursday at the OS - I'll be thinking of you!

Liz

 

[The Cappuccino Kid]

Julie, glad that you're enjoying the massage - it really helps, doesn't it?

I hope it turns out well for you today.

 

[Juliep]

Well I got back from my lastest OS appointment. Hips are doing just fine. Any discomfort that I have he said is not from the hip but from the muscles. I agree with that because I can tell if I try to stretch more it seems to help with it.

He showed me my left knee MRI and I have 2 spots of AVN it it. One smaller one to the front of the knee and a larger spot on backside of knee. He said both knees have it in the non-weight bearing locations and mainly in the areas when I bend my knees. Since the injections didn't do anything for it and bascially won't with the AVN he told me to just keep getting the hips stronger and come back when I'm ready for the knees to be done. He said I'll know when that time is.

I did ask what I should or shouldn't be doing and he said try to limit stairs if I can, crouching down, walk at slower paces (which I do anyway, lol) so the knees don't bend so much. Well I sit at a desk all day with my knees bent, duh.... how do I not do that? I try to get up, but that is easier said than done. Oh well, I knew that it would also have the AVN in this knee and I knew what the answer was going to be. Now I just take it one day at a time.

I did ask what he thought about seeing a Hematologist about the cause of the blood not flowing to those locations and he said I could if I wanted to, however he said about 50% of people with AVN it just is not known why.

That's where things are now and I will just keep going forward and hope I can go for maybe 6 months before I need to get them taken care of.

 

[Renate]

Sorry Julie. Here you got two new hips this year, and now you are faced with two knee replacements. Yikes. I am still not fully recovered from one hip. Hard to imagine looking at new knees at some point. :grouphug2:

 

[DaveGM]

Hello Julie

Well the good news is the new hips are doing great so at least the posative spin is that when the time is right for you, there is no reason why the knees cannot be the same.

I am really sorry that you have AVN in your knees and are facing replacements fo those as well. You seem to be a really posative person and I am sure you will get through this and bounce back on the other side.

When you feel the time is right I am sure you will know. We know this may not be what we would want and it can be quite draining but there is a solution which i am sure you will go for.

You have been very supportive as I approach my second hip due to AVN.


Take Care

regards

Dave

 

[Juliep]

Thanks Renate and Dave,

It's hard to know that knees will come next and I hurt all the time with them so I don't think it will be far away. I want to get further into next year though and when I do them, I do want to join the others in the knee forum of getting both done at same time. I have reduced my sick time tremendously at work and will need to conserve and I think that will be the best way.

Yes Dave, I hope the knees will be the same as the hips and that each obstacle will be overcome. I just don't want another joint to be the next one.

I am looking forward to hearing about your upcoming next hip. I know things will work out great for you. Thanks for all the support. Just another day in paradise. :cat-kittyandsmiley:

 

[hipmom]

So sorry to hear about your knees, julie. I'm glad that you have access to information on bs about doing both knees at once. I don't know anything about knees, but i can certainly understand why you would want to get all of this done and over with in one shot. The day will come when your legs will feel wonderful and they will be able to carry you wherever you want to go. Hugs your way to see you through this time.

 

[NYLiz]

Oh Julie, my heart goes out to you. I wish the news had been better, but at least you now have answers. I'll pray that you are able to put off surgery for as long as possible and you'll know when it's time to get them done. My aunt who had both hips replaced, had both knees replaced a few days apart this time last year, and she said she'd never have done it any other way. She now walks around better than she has in years.

Keep being positive and be easy on those knees!

Liz

 

[Jamie]

Julie, so sorry to hear that you have the AVN in your knees, but I think your decision to have them both done at the same time is the right one. I hope you are able to put it off for a while to give yourself some breathing room.

 

[Juliep]

Thanks Donna, Liz and Jamie !!

Yes I'm looking forward to the day that my legs will carry me without pain and without struggle. I look forward to not having to decide if I should go somewhere or do something because I wonder if I will be able to walk the distance. I do know in time they will all feel great and I'll be able to do all the things once again that I want.

I have been "lurking" in the knee forums for awhile now looking and reading so I know what I'm expecting. At some point a new post will start over there. Oh I do feel strongly about both knees at one time. My goal now like my OS said was to get my legs strong from my hip replacements before the knees get done.

Jamie, how do I add the link to this post to my signature line so when I start one in the knees this link will be there so others can see.

Thanks again !!

 

[Jamie]

When you're ready to start a thread in the knee forums and put a link to your hip recovery thread in your signature, you can copy the link by going to the hip recovery forum index, highlighting the thread you want to link (mouse swipe over the title to highlight it), click on COPY and then PASTE it in your signature. It will be easier to do this by opening two windows in BoneSmart and going back and forth to get it done.

 

[cstreet]

Hi Julie,

So sorry to hear about the knees. That sucks and is totally unfair after all you have been through with the hips. The positive is that the technology exists to get you all fixed up. Hang in there.

 

[Juliep]

Thanks Cstreet. It's sure no fun and it's really hard to have the family undertand this at times. My daughter and sister that live in NC seem to think "just grin and bear it and try not to talk about it" and that's going to make it all go away. My daughter last night said to me to try not to think about it and you'll do better. Hmmmmmmm my knees hurt when I'm sitting, when I get up to walk, I can't crouch down to grab things because they hurt along with my left thigh still from the hip. Guess I'll just not think about it and everyone else will be happy except me. UGH. Sorry to vent.

I go to bed usually by 7-8 or at least get into bed to I can stretch out after sitting at a computer all day at work and seem to be tired from that point on. No fun of course for my boyfriend as I don't want to do anything ever. I go for my work physical this month so will have full blood work up again so can see what the levels are at again. I hate to take iron supplements as I already seem to take stool softners all the time just to have things work and then that doesn't always work so I could imagine what it would be like with iron supplements.

Any suggestions on the hip: I feel just fine with the first one, full range of motion only have numbness in the front still from some nerve and it's slowly getting better. On left side, I am having hard time bending to reach things on floor. It's more of a ache of the back of upper leg/butt area and then in the front right at the bend of the leg. I feel more up in that area and is this all muscle related that I'm not strong enough there yet?

Thanks for the letting me ramble.

 

[Renate]

Julie, I am very sorry and understand your misery. It's difficult for 'nomal' people to understand your dilemma. They think you get new hips, rest for a few weeks, and off you go. That's what joint replacement is all about. Nobody really talks about a longer recovery except here on bonesmart. I thought I was so well informed, and for me recovery was about the ability to walk normal again, didn't really think about back, muscle, tendon issues etc. And you had 2 surgeries. That took a lot out of you, and on top of that you are faced with 2 knee surgeries. My heart goes out to you. Remember, there a lots of people here who feel for you, and you can vent.